Enchantment (119 page)

Catz
stalked
toward
her.
“Do
y
ou
think
y
o
u
r
p
o
wer
is
enough
to
challenge
that
of
Tethran? Perhaps
y
ou
think
y
o
u’
r
e
strong
enough
to
thwart
a
direct
line
of
his.
Y
ou
call
us
a
fool,
but
we are
not
the
one
who
allowed
one
of
our
o
wn
to
steal
his
daughter,
to
u
se
her
for
the
power
she wields.
Meeka
isn’t
a
m
ort
a
l
wo
m
an, but
a
powerful
sorceress.”

Madget
gasped
in
astonish
m
ent. A
disturbance
at
the
e
m
p
t
y
head
of
the
circle
turned
all
e
y
es in
its
direction.

The
air
sizzled, and
slowl
y
,
Thalius appeared. I
n
stant
l
y
,
Kerrigan
had
him
pinned
to
the
wall with
the
s
harp
point
at
the
end
of
his
tail.
Fire
spat
between
his
bared
teeth.
“You
will
pay
for this
with
y
o
u
r
life,
Thalius,
I
pro
m
ise
y
o
u.
Let
them
go
this
instant,
and
I
m
ig
h
t
spare
y
o
u
.
There are
no
other
options.”
He
hissed.

“Kerrigan,
y
o
u have
a
m
e
r
e
ten
seconds
to
let
him
go.”
Madget’s
warning
held
little threat. Str
y
k
e
r
pulled
at
his
leader’s
m
assive
leg.
“Kerrigan,
we
cannot
win
this
w
a
y
.
The
y
’
r
e
old,

self
-absorbed,
and
power-hung
r
y
.
”

Kerrigan
pulled
this
tail
back,
and
Thalius
cru
m
p
l
ed
to
the
floor
with
a
s
m
ug
grin.
Kerrigan brought
his
large
head
within
inches
of
Thalius’s
ug
l
y
face.
“
Y
ou
have
less
than
ten
m
in
u
tes
to return
what
is
m
ine
to
m
e,
unha
r
m
ed
and
untouched.
Should
the
t
i
m
e
lapse,
I
will
destr
o
y ever
y
t
h
ing
in
Enchan
t
m
e
nt
looking
for
the
m
,
starting
with
the
re
m
ains
of
this
fortress
and
y
o
u
r ho
m
e.” Kerrigan turned to the other nine.
“
I
couldn’t give
a
da
m
n
about
y
o
u
r
P
o
wer of Ten.
Y
ou don’t
know
the
wrath
I
will
bring
forth
if
my
ter
m
s are
not
m
et
.
”

“You
are
our
servant,
nothing
m
ore
—
”
Madget
started.

“I
am
not of
this
w
orld.”
K
errigan
leaned
close.
“
A
nd
I have
no
fear
of
y
o
u
r
p
o
wer.”
With
a
m
igh
t
y
leap,
he
burst
through
the
re
m
ains
of
the
ceiling and
landed
in
the
training
field.

Kerrigan
spoke
direct
l
y
to
St
r
y
k
er.
“
Ensure
every
garg
o
y
l
e
is
f
l
y
i
ng
and
on
full
alert.
I
want the
m
a
j
ori
t
y
of
them
m
onito
r
ing
Thalius
and
his
ho
m
e.
I
know
he’s
keeping
th
e
m
in
there
s
omewhere.”

Kerrigan’s
gaze
fell
on
his
dad.
He
would
not
last
without
his
m
a
te.
“
I
will
get
them
back, Dad.
Str
y
k
e
r, what
do
y
ou
think Thalius and
Jager
are up
t
o
?
” He
looked
into
the
s
k
y
.

Str
y
k
e
r
spoke.
“
I
think
we
have
to
face
the
po
s
sibil
it
y
.
Perhaps
Threeo’s
vision
m
ight
be correct.”

Kerrigan
sla
m
med
his
tail
on
the
ground.
“I
ref
u
se
to
believe
ever
y
o
n
e
dies,”
he
y
e
l
l
e
d
. “Threeo
said
his
vision
had
lots
of
trees
and
a
large
m
ount
a
in
which
glitters.”

Str
y
k
e
r
and
Kerrigan
looked
at
one
another
and
spoke as
one.
“
Topaz
M
ountain.”
Of
course Thalius
w
ould
take
them
to
Topaz
M
ountain.
The
m
agi
c
al
properties
of
the
j
e
wels
e
m
bedded
in the
m
ou
n
tain
had
been
known
to
cloak
those
in
its
presence,
rendering
them
al
m
ost
undetec
t
able.

The
Counselors
had
m
ade
the
m
ou
n
tain
in
case
of
an
unlike
l
y
attack
from
u
n
welc
o
m
e visitors.
The
jeweled
m
oun
t
ain
was
filled
with
tunnels
and
living
quarters.
Kerrigan
was
s
udden
l
y
certain
Thalius
would
t
r
y
to
take
Paddy
and
Meeka
there.